3b:Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques

Questioning and discussion are the only instructional strategies specifically referred to in the Framework for Teaching, a decision that reflects their central importance to teachers’ practice. In the Framework, it is important that questioning and discussion be used as techniques to deepen student understanding rather than serve as recitation, or a verbal “quiz.” Good teachers use divergent as well as convergent questions, framed in such a way that they invite students to formulate hypotheses, make connections, or challenge previously held views. Students’ responses to questions are valued; effective teachers are especially adept at responding to and building on student responses and making use of their ideas. High-quality questions encourage students to make connections among concepts or events previously believed to be unrelated and to arrive at new understandings of complex material. Effective teachers also pose questions for which they do not know the answers. Even when a question has a limited number of correct responses, the question, being nonformulaic, is likely to promote student thinking.

Class discussions are animated, engaging all students in important issues and promoting the use of precise language to deepen and extend their understanding. These discussions may be based around questions formulated by the students themselves. Furthermore, when a teacher is building on student responses to questions (whether posed by the teacher or by other students), students are challenged to explain their thinking and to cite specific text or other evidence (for example, from a scientific experiment) to back up a position. This focus on argumentation forms the foundation of logical reasoning, a critical skill in all disciplines.

Not all questions must be at a high cognitive level in order for a teacher’s performance to be rated at a high level; that is, when exploring a topic, a teacher might begin with a series of questions of low cognitive challenge to provide a review, or to ensure that everyone in the class is “on board.” Furthermore, if questions are at a high level but only a few students participate in the discussion, the teacher’s performance on the component cannot be judged to be at a high level. In addition, during lessons involving students in small-group work, the quality of the students’ questions and discussion in their small groups may be considered as part of this component. In order for students to formulate high-level questions, they must have learned how to do so. Therefore, high-level questions from students, either in the full class or in small-group discussions, provide evidence that these skills have been taught.

Danielson, C. 2013

Artifact 3b-1

Throughout these lesson that I created, I ask a series of questions to help connect the students thought process and keep them in clear mind with understanding what they should be looking for during the activity. I asked high level questions that can help the students expand their knowledge in a challenging way.

Artifact 3b-2

This is part of my unit for my senior practicum. I came up with questions that would be higher level thinking and make them understand their own learning in a different way. Higher level thinking helps students understand the meaning behind what they are learning and also see how they can use their learning to comprehend what is important. Questions help students figure out what is happening and even help the students question them and see if they can answer the questions to know they are learning.